Early look at Superior's Northwest Subarea reshaping eyes new zoning policies, more connectivity

Planning commissioners to convene on expanded area study on Tuesday

By Anthony Hahn

Staff Writer

Posted:
11/24/2017 05:35:40 PM MST

Updated:
11/24/2017 05:37:21 PM MST

Preliminary recommendations for how Superior officials should reshape the town's Northwest Subarea stress an overhaul of the district's resident zoning policies and pedestrian and bicycle connectivity within its fledgling marketplace. (Paul Aiken / Staff Photographer)

Preliminary recommendations for how Superior officials should reshape the town's Northwest Subarea stress an overhaul of the district's resident zoning policies and pedestrian and bicycle connectivity within its fledgling marketplace lot.

The plan, which focuses on the town's district that includes its old town neighborhoods as well as its burgeoning commercial sector, could see an overhaul of zoning and land use codes in the district to stave off Boulder County growth.

It may also work to separate the town's own flow of traffic from the marketplace away from the neighborhoods with a bevy of engineering adjustments and a focus on increased pedestrian/bicycle connectivity, according to recommendations compiled from more than 500 residents.

Any change is dependent on community perception, officials say, who have embarked on a several months-long public outreach process similar to one conducted by Lafayette when revamping its Old Town district in the spring.

The project itself focuses on four key areas of Northwest Superior identified as to where officials say "change is most likely to occur due to recent growth pressures, the availability of vacant or underutilized land, and current plans and regulations": the 76th Street properties, Superior Marketplace, Original Superior, and the 2nd Avenue Property.

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Initial suggestions from residents for the 76th Street Properties (a mix of medium density homes and office space with a potential for other community-oriented uses) expressed concerns about adding additional traffic and congestion to the area, according to the survey, as well as a desire for more neighborhood-scale commercial/retail uses like restaurants and coffee shops.

Officials hired Clarion Associates — a Denver consulting firm that assisted in Lafayette's Old Town zoning code overhaul earlier this year — to facilitate several community outreach meetings to gauge public interest for how such plans could move forward.

The mission was spurred in part by a rash of growth in recent years (and growth expected to grip the 4-square-mile town in the near future). Such growth has amplified the strain on Superior's Original Town district, located adjacent to the town's marketplace sector.

Perched off the McCaslin exit on U.S. 36, the lot hosts a Whole Foods, Super Target, and Costco — officials recently approved plans for an Ethan Allen — among other big box stores.

As part of the survey, Clarion asked residents if they thought the Marketplace met the community's current needs. Based on 376 total responses to this question, according to the survey, more than half thought that Superior officials should initiate more detailed planning for the area.

Others cited a desire for improved access and connections within and into the marketplace for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as a desire to make the area more visually appealing and comfortable for pedestrians. Vehicle access and circulation in and around the Marketplace was also identified as a major concern for respondents.

Additionally, the survey asked, "Should the town explore potential design standards or other zoning changes to guide future residential development in Original Town?"

Of the 368 total responses to the question, nearly 40 percent of respondents signaled that they thought the town should explore potential design standards or other zoning changes to guide future development in Original Town.

Similar to residents of Old Town Lafayette, residents who answered the survey showed the strongest support for smaller single-family homes where infill occurs, as opposed to multifamily zoning.

Planning Commissioners will convene on the results of the preliminary resident survey — which were released in the agenda packet — on Tuesday.

The goal of a comprehensive plan for the area hopes to address two of the most glaring issues, Original Town resident and Planning Commissioner Bob McCool said in October at the onset of the effort: maintaining a separation between the marketplace and Original Town; and preserving the scale of the community against the potential for redevelopment allowed under the district's current zoning guides.

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